Scalable frequency band operation in wireless communication systems

Abstract

To support mobile stations that are not capable of demodulating the entire bandwidth or that can be made to demodulate less than the entire bandwidth, a system, apparatus and method are provided to schedule users on less than all of the bandwidth. Further, certain users can be scheduled on more of the bandwidth than others.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:
 a memory storing program codes and data; and 
 a processor coupled with the memory and operable by using the program codes and data, the processor configured to: 
 receive a plurality of communications respectively from a plurality of wireless access terminals; 
 in response to said communications, make respectively associated determinations regarding whether the respectively associated wireless access terminals are capable of operating on more than one carrier simultaneously; 
 assign at least one carrier to each said wireless access terminal based on said determinations; and 
 instruct control channel transmissions, respectively, on the assigned carriers; 
 wherein the control channel transmission on at least one of the assigned carriers permits the associated wireless access terminal to communicate within the at least one assigned carrier without utilizing information contained in any other control channel transmissions. 
 
     
     
       2. The wireless communication apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the processor is further configured to instruct that the control channel transmissions occur synchronously. 
     
     
       3. The wireless communication apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to instruct that the control channel transmissions occur asynchronously. 
     
     
       4. The wireless communication apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to instruct transmission of a superframe preamble prior to the control channel transmissions, and wherein the superframe preamble spans each of the assigned carriers. 
     
     
       5. The wireless communication apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to instruct, for each of the assigned carriers, transmission of a superframe preamble prior to the control channel transmission. 
     
     
       6. A method of wireless communication, comprising:
 receiving a plurality of communications respectively from a plurality of wireless access terminals; 
 in response to said communications, making respectively associated determinations regarding whether the respectively associated wireless access terminals are capable of operating on more than one carrier simultaneously; 
 assigning at least one carrier to each said wireless access terminal based on said determinations; and 
 instructing control channel transmissions, respectively, on the assigned carriers; 
 wherein the control channel transmission on at least one of the assigned carriers permits the associated wireless access terminal to communicate within the at least one assigned carrier without utilizing information contained in any other control channel transmissions. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the control channel transmissions are synchronous. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the control channel transmissions are asynchronous. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , including instructing transmission of a superframe preamble prior to the control channel transmissions, wherein the superframe preamble spans each of the assigned carriers. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6 , including instructing, for each of the assigned carriers, transmission of a superframe preamble prior to the control channel transmission. 
     
     
       11. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:
 means for receiving a plurality of communications respectively from a plurality of wireless access terminals; 
 means for making, in response to said communications, respectively associated determinations regarding whether the respectively associated wireless access terminals are capable of operating on more than one carrier simultaneously; 
 means for assigning at least one carrier to each said wireless access terminal based on said determinations; and 
 means for instructing control channel transmissions, respectively, on the assigned carriers; 
 wherein the control channel transmission on at least one of the assigned carriers permits the associated wireless access terminal to communicate within the at least one assigned carrier without utilizing information contained in any other control channel transmissions. 
 
     
     
       12. The wireless communication apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the control channel transmissions are synchronous. 
     
     
       13. The wireless communication apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the control channel transmissions are asynchronous. 
     
     
       14. The wireless communication apparatus of  claim 11 , including means for instructing transmission of a superframe preamble prior to the control channel transmissions, wherein the superframe preamble spans each of the assigned carriers. 
     
     
       15. The wireless communication apparatus of  claim 11 , including means for instructing, for each of the assigned carriers, transmission of a superframe preamble prior to the control channel transmission. 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:
 code for causing at least one processor to:
 receive a plurality of communications respectively from a plurality of wireless access terminals; 
 in response to said communications, make respectively associated determinations regarding whether the respectively associated wireless access terminals are capable of operating on more than one carrier simultaneously; 
 assign at least one carrier to each said wireless access terminal based on said determinations; and 
 instruct control channel transmissions, respectively, on the assigned carriers; 
 
 wherein the control channel transmission on at least one of the assigned carriers permits the associated wireless access terminal to communicate within the at least one assigned carrier without utilizing information contained in any other control channel transmissions. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the control channel transmissions are synchronous. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the control channel transmissions are asynchronous. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing at least one processor to instruct transmission of a superframe preamble prior to the control channel transmissions, wherein the superframe preamble spans each of the assigned carriers. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing at least one processor to instruct, for each of the assigned carriers, transmission of a superframe preamble prior to the control channel transmission.